Means for producing artificial waves



May 21, 1935. o. A. PRICE 2,002,043

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MEANS FOR PRQDUCING ARTIFICIAL WAVES Filed Jan. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheetr2 5 7 l/ l 'uw /2 la, al l5 /4 4 f2 l/ p /8 /7 5 l5 /2 4 l5 /4 l 4 e 5'4 :n 7 5 Fla?.

Patented May 21, 1935 PATENT OFFICE t' IWAVES Dwen AlfredPrice,rKilmarnocmcotland fY Application `Januawrao, 1.935, seriallN. 4,013`

ithe art of producing artificial wavesin vswimming pools and `the likeit' is iknown'ffor tha-purpose ofy producing variation in the' wavysurial'cetoI provide 'reciprocating displacers opera'- flf ting?att-'slightly'diierent speeds, l so that fthere is acyclic variation`ofrelative-stroke position with regular repetition of the full cycle-ofvariations at'intervalsfdeterminedby the i number of strokes yconstitutingthe cycle." V'The 'displacers are com- 10:mgniyf-,reciprocatedi approxnnateiy in harmonic motion,l sincethenatural wave motion f is approximately fharmonic, f'and this resultisconveniently obtainedfby operating fe'aczh"displacer4 through a vconnectingrod "drivenfroma crank rotated at 1iu a'uniform ispee'd.`Hence, with' two displacers drivenl atfrslightlyV1 different speeds `onelcrank lis continually gaining on lthe other and the rrespecti've crankspassthr'oughthe -whole scale of phase-differences duringacomplete cycleofwave I- variations. For instance, at one moment the tw'ocr'ankswillbe'finv phase,.at another moment 90ifapart, and gat another moment180 apart, andfso on. `The' highest waves are produced when thegcra'nksare `inphase`; diagonal uwav'es, higher N= atene-.side ofthebasinthantheotherjare produce'd' when l the] cranks are about i 90apart, and smaller I'ratherchoppy waves are producedv when thecranksareabout"`180apart. 3f 'Y 'A in" lreacmy be runder-stood than whenthe 30. displacervoranksfare about 1`80 apart, one fdisplacer *makesdcwnwardfonforward Strokes concurrently with upward `or return strokesof the otherldisplacer, 'that there lwill be considerable'short-circuiting of f-Waterbetween the "two Adis- 35- placers at thewave-generating-iendof the basin and fthat, as la Vconsequence of this iidle pumping,

a Substantial proportion of the wave-forming impulse of `the displacersis rnot conveyed to the body of wateri'nvthe basin, .With the resultthat401 reiativelyisniauand-iess'dennite qwaves are produced.f f i 1 T'heobject of `the-presentinvention is to elim-v inateftheperiod of -small`choppy waves insep- :Airf'ahle*from` thefhithertoemployed methods ofproducing fvari'ation in wave formatiomandthus to combine-thecontinually.changing motion ,of

theiwaves with greater consistency in wave height.

nI.'I'he,.invention` is @applicablel `to displacers of 50,alyntructingfe.,.g., lt0 fhodily reciprocating displac'ers operating inopen pools or inpressure hfts or the, equivalent under partially. im-

mersed pr totally,Submergedfconditions and to hmSedip`horzontellyoscllatingfdisplacers. i

u .Accordinstothe inventionfaplurality of disf `In 4Great Britain:November16, 1933 Y comme ,www2-f2s) placers are constrainedto operateat all times'` in^ phase, -whereby short"circuitpumping is elim-vinated, the variationyin wave formation" being produced by varying thelength of stroke (or vibration) of one displacer irelatively -to theother oroth'ers. i i l i.

Wave-producing means constructed inzaccordf: ance with the present`invention `zis illustrated; by Way of example, in the accompanyingdraw.- ings in whichFigil is a part elevation part verf,- ticalsectionshowing a vertically `reciprocating displaoerand its actuatingmechanism,` Fig. 1a" a fragmentary detail view showing a modication,Fig. 2` a part plan .part horizontal sectionand Fig. 3 a longitudinalvertical section, showing the arrangement of a pair of verticallyreciprocating displacers at one end of a swimming pool, 4:V a` view4correspondingtoFig. 3 showing a modified form of displacer constitutedby an 1oscillatoryflap,` Figs. 5":and5a diagrams illustrativeof-'a rangeof stroke variation?vobtainablepand Figs. Gand Garfurtherdiagramsfillstrative of amodi'-S fied range of stroke variation. i u

Ilteferring to Figs. 1-3,' I and 'Ia denote a pair of displacers'adaptedto be reciprocated vertically Y Within pressure Shafts 2K2,respectively,.lafy0ne end of -a swimmin'g'poolP or ythe like. "Eachidis'`placer is pivotally connectd'to thellower ends of parallel and pivotedbetweeny 'their ends fat' 5.

Pivoted at 6 to the other armof each beam '4 is a double-armedcompensating lever`-'Iv"tothe-"opJ posite ends of which are' connectedthe upper :lends of'a pair of links 8, 9 the lower endspwhich areconnected to cranks I0, IIon adjacent ends of, two parallelydisposedshafts I 2;- I 3'. 2A second pair of cranks` l0, `H is proviedon theopposite ends of theshafts I2,"I3"for-the other `rocking beamY 4. YSecuredon the 'shaft I2 is aispurff'gear I'lI,V and secured on the shaftI3 isa spur geafIS; both vspur gears meshing withfa common? gear pinionI6 on a driving shaftF Il g'eared,"together with the correspondingshaftI'I of the"lriving mechanism of the other 'displacer`,)ltoanlelectrc4 motor Ior otherprime mover, u l j r'The spur gears I4, I5are differentially toothed, so that the cranksy I IJ, dilerent speeds. 0

The compensating lever 'I shownhasarrns of unequal lengths, but itmaylhave. arms fof` equal lengths, Aormay be formedas shownrin Fig. 1awith a slot I9 adjustably engaged ,by fai; pivot II Varej rotated ai?Slghiilli block 20, so that the position of the pivot block may bevaried depending on the range of stroke variation required.

In operation, owing to the small difference in the rates of rotation ofthe cranks l and I l the stroke-varying mechanism performs a cycle ofmotions during each interval between successive identical angularpositions of the cranks lll and Il. As the differential rate of rotationis small, the cranks l0, I l will operate substantially in parallel forseveral revolutions during which the associated rods 8, 9 will function,in effect, as a single rod and there will be little or norocking of thelever 'I relatively tol the beam 4, so that the rocking movement of thebeam-4 will be a maximum regardless of the position of the pivot 6 inlever 1. As the relative angulardisplacement of the cranks IU, Ilincreases, the lever 'l rocks on its pivot 5 relatively to the beam 4and the rocking movement of the beam 4 decreases.

Thus, if the cranks l0, Il are relatively displaced to the extent of 180and the lever 'l is centrally pivoted, little or no rocking movementwill be imparted to the beam 4. If, however, the lever 'l .is pivotedoff-centre as shown in Fig. 1, the beam 4 will be rocked to an extentdepending onl the ratio of inequality of the arms of the lever 1.' Itwill readily bey understood, therefore,

o that'by suitably proportioning the mechanism any desired range ofstroke variation may be imparted to the displacer.

Inthe event of a pool being equipped with a I y singledisplacer onlycycles of waves successively varying in .height and having crestsparallel to the ends of the pool, would be produced.

With two displacers as shown the respective stroke-varying mechanismsmay be so relatively timed that one displacer is performing itsmaximum'stroke while theother displacer is performing its minimumstroke. 'I'he range of stroke variation with this timing is shownconventionally in Figs. 5 and 5a which represent the performance of twodisplacers of which the levers 1 of the stroke varying mechanisms arecentrally pivoted whereby the strokes vary from maximum to zero. Figs. 6and 6a. show a range of strokes varying from maximum stroke to abouthalf maximum and obtainableby pivoting the levers 1 oil centre to therequisite extent. As is understood, by suitably altering the' positionsof the pivots of the levers 'l other ratios of maximum to minimum strokemay be obtained.

The. eii'ect on the-water of two such displacers is to produce greatYvariety in the wave formation so that, during each complete cycle ofwaves, no'two waves are alike. Waves higher at one end than the otherwith continually` changing inclination transversely of the pool, iirsttowards onev side and then towards the other side of the pool, followone anotherinsuccession, also waves of uniform height and waves whichbreak parallel to the ends'of the pool. By suitably deterymining the`number of teeth in the spur gearing any desired numberf of waves may beproduced in a cycle.V

- 'In Vthe modiiicationr'shown in Fig. 4 each dis- 1. Wave-producingmeans forswimming pools and the like, comprising, in combination, aplurality of displacers, means for imparting to said displacersreciprocating movements in phase, the relation of the amplitudes ofreciprocating movements of said displacers being varied during theirreciprocation without varying the phase relation of said movements.

2. Wave-producing means for .swimming pools and the like, comprising, incombination,'a plurality of displacers, rock levers, one connected toeach displacer, means for imparting substantiallyA synchronous rockingmovements to said levers, whereby said displacers are constrained toreciprocate in phase, the extent of rocking movement of said leversrelatively to one another beingk varied during operation while thesynchronism of their rocking movements is maintained.

3.k Wave-producing means for swimming pools and the like, comprising, incombination, a pair of displacers, a pair of rock levers, one connectedto each displacer, means'for imparting substantially synchronous rockingmovements to said levers,:

whereby said displacers are constrained to reciprocate in phase, theextent of rocking movement of one lever relatively to the other beingvaried during operation.

4. Wave-producing means for swimming pools and the like, comprising, apair of displacers, a pair of rock levers, one connectedv to veachdisplacer, and means for imparting substantially synchronous rockingmovements to said rock levers whereby said displacers are constrained to`reciprocate continuously in phase, said means including pairs ofcranks, the cranks of eachpair rotating at diierent speeds whereby theextent of rocking movement of said levers relative to one another isvaried during their operation while the synchronism of their rockingmovements is maintained.

5. Wave-producing means for swimming pools and the like, comprising,fapair of displacers, a pair of rock-levers, one .connected to eachdisplacer, a compensating lever connected to each rock lever, saidcompensating levers imparting substantially vsynchronous rockingmovements to said rock-levers to cause said displacers to reciprocate inphase, and a pair of cranks rotating at different lspeeds connected toeach compensating lever for shifting the position of each compensating-lever relative to its rock-lever whereby the extent of rocking movementof` said levers relative to one another is varied during operation whilethe synchronism of their rocking movements is maintained.

6. Wave-producing means for swimming pools and the like, comprising, apair of displacers, a pair ofrock levers, one connected to eachdisplacer, a pair of compensating levers having sliding and pivotalconnections with said rock levers, said compensating levers impartingsubstantially synchronous rocking movements to said rocklevers to causesaid displacers to reciprocate in phase, and a pair of cranks rotatingat different speeds connected to each compensating lever for shiftingthe position of each compensating lever relative to its rock-leverwhereby the extent of rocking movement of Asaid levers relative to oneanother is varied during operation while the synchronism of theirvrocking movements is maintained.

'7. Wave-producing means for swimming pools and the like, comprising, apair of displacers, a pair of rock levers, one connected to eachdisplacer, compensating levers connected to said 8. Wave-producing meansfor swimming pools and the like, comprising, a pair of displacers, meansfor imparting to said displacers reciprocating movements maintained inphase, the amplitudes of the reciprocating movements of said displacersbeing varied during their reciproca'.- tion, theI variation in`amplitude of the reciprocating movements of one of said displacers beingeffected out of time with the variation in amplitude of thereciprocating movements of the other 10 displacer.

OWEN ALFRED PRICE.

